


but here i am alive

by haipollai



Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Sometimes you don't need to say I love you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-05
Updated: 2012-10-05
Packaged: 2017-11-15 16:28:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/529276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haipollai/pseuds/haipollai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Rhodey sighs and crouches down next to him, looking for any other injury he might later try to hide. Luckily the burn had led to Tony stripping off the top of his undersuit so Rhodey gets the chance to check. There's a bruise on one arm and a nasty scratch where his helmet and neck piece join together. This was a rough fight for the whole team. He had seen Natasha and Clint on his way in, looking banged up as well.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“We're too old for this.”</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	but here i am alive

**Author's Note:**

  * For [surlelac](https://archiveofourown.org/users/surlelac/gifts).



Rhodey lets himself into Tony's lab. Even with this new team of his, only a few people can get in without asking first. The lab is surprisingly quiet, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Tony isn't immediately visible either and Rhodey's almost ready to actually consider looking in his room when he spots the foot hanging over the edge of the couch. Carefully, he makes his way to him. Tony's unconscious, passed out with an arm over his face and the other dangling over the back of the couch. He looks anything but comfortable, awkwardly twisted to keep off the burn on his side.

Rhodey sighs and crouches down next to him, looking for any other injury he might later try to hide. Luckily the burn had led to Tony stripping off the top of his undersuit so Rhodey gets the chance to check. There's a bruise on one arm and a nasty scratch where his helmet and neck piece join together. This was a rough fight for the whole team. He had seen Natasha and Clint on his way in, looking banged up as well.

“We're too old for this.”

He goes to find the first aid kit that he knows Pepper makes Tony keep in there and due to Tony's love of playing with anything that goes boom, it's well stocked with burn ointment. Tony yelps and jumps awake at the first touch of the cool ointment to his skin. Rhodey bites back a grin because Tony's pain shouldn't be funny. It immediately becomes less funny when Tony hisses in pain and holds his side tightly.

Ribs. Rhodey hadn't thought about internal injuries. He curses at himself and gently pushes on the arc reactor to get Tony to lie back down.

Tony closes his eyes again. “When did you get here?”

“Only about five minutes ago. Pepper called me.” He finishes with the burn and bandages it. Nothing can be done for the bruise so he moves up to check on the scratch.

“I uh I should have called. As soon as I got back. I'm a bad boyfriend. I'm a terrible boyfriend.”

“Did you do more then come back here and pass out?”

“No but there's Jarvis. Jarvis! You should have called Rhodey!”

“My apologies, sir.”

Rhodey rolls his eyes and gently tilts Tony's head back so he can see the scratch better. “Don't worry Jarvis, it's not your fault. I don't blame you either Tony. Was watching it on the news.” Tony scowls up at the ceiling. The cut had already stopped bleeding so he just carefully wipes it clean.

“Hate when you don't let me blame myself, take away all the fun.”

“Jarvis?” Rhodey ignores Tony.

“Yes, Colonel?”

“Does Tony have internal injuries?”

“Oh come on Rhodey,” Tony whines. “It's nothing.”

“He needs a more in depth exam but scans seem to indicate bruised ribs,” Jarvis answers Rhodey.

“See? Don't need to go to the doctor. Just need to sleep it off. Let me sleep it off.”

Rhodey's hands move up to Tony's jaw, cupping his cheek and just looking at him for a second. Tony looks exhausted as if the only thing keeping him conscious is Rhodey holding him up. “How about we move you to a bed, that sound good?” He leans in to kiss him softly, deepening it when Tony smiles.

“You going to join me in it?”

Rhodey chuckles and carefully gets Tony to his feet, pulling one of his arms over Rhodey's shoulders, letting Tony use him as support. “Is that why you're here?”

“’Course, bed's cold when I'm alone. Hate it.”

The elevator brings them directly up to Tony's floor. Rhodey thinks that Tony might have fallen asleep on him on the way up but when he starts walking, Tony stirs himself and he gets him through to the bedroom and down onto the bed. Tony sprawls out, limbs everywhere while Rhodey helps him out of the pants and socks.

“You joining me?” Tony murmurs, holding out a hand. Rhodey gets up and quickly strips down to his underwear and slides in beside him. “You're wearing too much.” Tony tugs weakly at Rhodey's briefs so Rhodey gets them off and takes off Tony's as well so it's just skin on skin. Their legs tangle together, the one part of Tony that Rhodey doesn't have to worry about hurting. Tony lets out a small content sigh as he settles himself on top of Rhodey.

Tony’s rarely so still and Rhodey hated that this was the cost. The injuries he was healing from healed slower then slower in the past, the exhaustion that was worse than the fallout of any crazy nonstop work binge. But there's no way Rhodey could ever talk him out of it so he made sure he was stationed as close as possible so he could be here for him. Tony didn't let the people around him do much for him.

“You know Tony,” he says it to him while he's sleeping because there's no chance to say it while he's awake. “If I ever have to hear about you dying over the damn radio, gonna kill you myself.”

“That makes no sense,” Tony mumbles into his chest, not as asleep as Rhodey thought. “But I'm touched by your logical fallacies.”

“You spend too much time with your robots, starting to sound like them,” Rhodey says, running his hand though his hair. “Sleep, Tony.”

“Be here in the morning?”

“If you ask nicely, I'll even make you breakfast.”

Tony chuckles. “I can ask very nicely.” His hand trails up Rhodey's thigh but Rhodey catches it before it can get to wherever Tony's destination is.

“In. The. Morning. Sleep.”

Tony doesn't argue, which is sign enough that he's more burned out then he'll admit. He waits for Tony's breathing to even out and steady before closing his own eyes, just hoping that Tony really is still there in the morning and doesn't decide to wander off to get more work done. His arms tighten around him before he falls asleep, just in case.


End file.
